For over a century Switzerland has been synonymous with train travel; an assortment of scenic lines first appearing across the country, in part, to make the wanderings of those early, enterprising tourists that much easier. Travellers, the majority of whom hailed from England, were drawn to the wilds and wonders of Switzerland, craving pristine air, dustings of snow and landscapes that weren’t entirely real. In their wake came wealth and esteem, and an appreciation for seeing the world by rail. So, with Switzerland in particular, and Europe in general, indebted to trains - with lakes and improbable heights made more dramatic by movement - it felt right to pay homage to history and traverse the continent aboard a truly decadent vestige of the past, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE).
And so I found myself in Venice on a sunny April morning, drunk on canals and piazzas and preparing to board this gilt and indigo icon, failing in every conceivable way to conceal my excitement. Tom, my camera-wielding travel companion, was lost somewhere along the platform, darting between delightfully-attired fellow passengers, the train his muse. As it should be, for this is a journey designed to galvanise; something from the glory days of travel - an era made spectacular by the mystique of nostalgia. The Venice to London VSOE experience may only last 36 hours but it’s accompanied by decades of care and romance.
An extract from our Switzerland magazine, which you can order here.
Words by Liz Schaffer & rather delightful photographs by Tom Bunning.
